Wednesday, 4 June 2014

The Applied Arts Museum

The Applied Arts Museum, Budapest.
Odon Lechner's most flamboyant creation, the Museum was inaugurated during the 1896 Millenial celebrations. Lechner strove to create a unique form of Hungarian architecture influenced by old Magyar and Turkic folk art, but with a definite Art Nouveau emphasis. Its most distinctive feature is the green and yellow dome made from Zsolnay frost-resistant terracotta tiles.

The building is in urgent need of restoration but is still spectacular

The yellow tiled lantern on the top of the dome had to be taken down in 2011 for safety reasons.

The portico has ceramic Turkic motifs on an egg-yolk-coloured background

a closer look at the ceiling

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and the intricate design on one of the columns

another closer look.

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The interior is a complete contrast. All white, reminiscent of Mogul architecture.

We did not venture further inside to look at any of the exhibitions: we meant to do so at another time but didn't manage it in the end - there is so much to do and see in Budapest